The outer periphery of a honeycomb body shaped to a particular form contains a series of partial cells which present a jagged surface. This surface is prone to snagging or catching onto whatever adjacent structure it may contact. In fact, such jagged outer surface is much like a series of barbed projections. It does not allow free movement of a honeycomb product among a group of pieces and makes the orientation, feeding or handling of such a product very difficult and cumbersome.
Attempts have been made in the past to solve this problem. One attempt has been to encase a honeycomb product of the type described in a separate frame. Another attempt has been to encapsulate the partial cells at the outer periphery of the honeycomb product with a resin or similar material to form a continuous smooth outer peripheral edge or wall. In general, none of these attempts have been satisfactory for one or more reasons and a need has continued to exist for a honeycomb product having a frame-like outer periphery in which the product is relatively smooth and is snag-free so that it can be oriented, machine-fed or otherwise handled without snagging onto adjacent structures.